Undoubtedly, you must have heard that in order to achieve excellent results, remain strong and healthy, and minimize the risk of injury, it is crucial to incorporate strength training into your marathon training regime.
In order to properly train for a marathon, it involves a significant amount of time and dedication. Seasoned runners typically run six days a week during their training period. Aside from running, they often engage in activities such as cross-training, sports massage, warm-ups, cool-downs, and foam rolling. It is also important to prioritize getting enough rest and consuming enough nutritious calories to support your body’s needs.
No matter how packed your training schedule may be, it is important to incorporate strength training into your routine at least twice a week. However, which specific exercises are recommended for marathon runners when it comes to strength training?
In this guide, we will provide a detailed list of the most effective marathon strength training exercises. These exercises are essential for individuals with time constraints, as they allow for quick and efficient workouts.
Best marathon strength training exercises
1. Squats
By targeting your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, adductors, hip flexors, calves, and core, the squat, a compound functional exercise, engages all the muscles used in running, thus serving as a comprehensive strength training exercise for marathons.
These are the steps to perform a standard squat.
- Stand tall with your feet a bit wider than hip-width apart, and your toes slightly turned out.
- Hold a weight to your chest, keeping your elbows together, shoulders back, chest up, and looking straight ahead.
- Engage your core, and bend at the knees and hips as you sit back until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Using your glutes, push yourself back up into your initial standing position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Different types of squats target different muscles to varying degrees, and doing one-legged squats can help correct imbalances in your muscles. Different variations of squats include resistance band squats, wall-sits, single-leg squats, Bulgarian split squats, jump squats, isometric squats, lateral squat walks with a resistance band, and sumo squats.
Different variations of squats can be performed either using just your bodyweight or by adding resistance, such as dumbbells or kettlebells.
2. Lunges
The reverse lunge is a unilateral exercise that is great for correcting muscle imbalances and decreasing the chances of getting injured. Reverse lunges target the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and core. Now, let’s examine the steps to perform a simple reverse lunge.
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, chest up and proud, core engaged, and shoulders back, looking straight ahead.
- Take a big step back with your right foot, placing the ball of your foot on the floor behind you.
- As you take this step, bend both knees until they reach 90 degrees. Your right knee will be just above the ground, and your left thigh will be parallel to the floor.
- Push off your back foot and return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
When it comes to lunges, there are numerous variations available to assist you in achieving a comprehensive workout for your lower body.
In addition to adding weight to these exercises, you have the option to incorporate upper body movements as you lunge, transforming it into a complete full-body exercise. For instance, you may include overhead presses or lateral raises.
3. Deadlifts
To strengthen your hamstrings and glutes, deadlifts play a crucial role. To begin with, it is advisable to start with a Romanian deadlift, considering that deadlifts are complex exercises due to their intricate technique. Prior to increasing the weight, it is recommended to practice the deadlift technique by observing yourself in the mirror.
To maintain the same meaning while rephrasing the text step by step: 1. Make sure your back is straight and avoid hunching over. 2. Putting unnecessary pressure on your back is a result of not maintaining a proper posture. 3. It is important to focus on feeling the work in your hamstrings rather than your lower back.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, bending your knees slightly, dumbbells at your things.
- While keeping your back flat, hinge at your hips as you bring the dumbbells to your shins. (This is not a squat; your knees bend just slightly). Your upper body should be parallel to the floor when the dumbbells are in place at your shins.
- Engage your core and return to your starting position, following through with your hips and squeezing your glutes.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
4. Hip thrusters
Now, it is time to engage your glute muscles further with hip thrusters. Hip thrusters share similarities with glute bridges, but differ in terms of positioning. During hip thrusters, your upper body is raised, pushing you to work harder due to wider range of motion and increased hip flexion.
Ensure that you fully extend your hips with every repetition by thinking step by step.
- Place the bench or plyometric box behind you.
- Sit on the floor and place your upper back or the center of your shoulder blades against the bench or plyometric box.
- Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor at hip-width apart.
- Squeeze your glutes, engage your core and lift your hips up toward the ceiling until your hips are fully extended. Make sure your neck is relaxed and does not strain with the movement. Let your gaze move naturally with the hip extension.
- Continue to squeeze your glutes and hold this bridge position for a second or two.
- Slowly lower your hips down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
To increase the difficulty, place a dumbbell or kettlebell on your hips’ center and grip it with your hands while thinking step by step.
5. Press-ups
- Lie face down with your hands on the floor either side of your chest. Your toes should be tucked under.
- Press down into your hands, raising your body off the floor. Keep your body straight and avoid stretching your neck.
- When your arms are almost fully extended (don’t lock your elbows), lower your body back down, almost to the floor, and repeat.
6. Dumbbell row
- Place your left knee and hand on a bench. Your upper body should be horizontal.
- Take a dumbbell in your right hand, arm extended towards the floor.
- Pull the weight up towards you, keeping your elbow close to your waist, then lower to the start position.
7. Tricep dips
- Sit with the heel of your hands on the edge of a bench with your fingers over the edge.
- Take the weight off your body with your arms and, bending at the elbows, lower yourself down. Push back up with your arms (avoid using your legs to lift yourself) and repeat.
8. Step-ups
- Stand in front of a bench or box (ensure it’s strong enough to hold your weight).
- Place one foot onto the bench and push off your rear leg to step up, keeping your body tall and your knee over your ankle on your supporting leg. Think about bringing your hips forwards and up rather than pulling forwards with your knees.
- Bring your trail leg up to a high knee position without it touching the bench. Then lower it back down to the floor.
- To increase difficulty, hold dumbbells in each hand.
9. Single-leg deadlift
- Stand tall with a dumbbell or kettlebell in your right hand.
- Take your left foot off the floor and extend your left leg behind you. Bend forward at the hip, keeping your back straight and your right arm extended towards the floor.
- Keep a slight bend in your right knee, and keep your hips level.
- Bring the weight almost to the floor and your back as close to horizontal as you can, before returning to the start position and repeating on the other side.
10. Calf raises
To perform this exercise, it is necessary to have a step or stair to increase the range of motion. Additionally, you have the option of holding dumbbells in each hand to provide extra resistance.
- Stand with the balls of your feet on the edge of a step.
- Lower your heels down as far as you can below the step.
- Then, reverse the movement and push yourself up on your toes as high as you can, pausing at the top.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
To target all areas of the calf, incorporate different exercises like seated calf raises, single-leg calf raises, and farmer’s walk on tiptoes.
